Transistor modification replaced current transistors with geranium oc44 pnp transistors to capture the vintage sound. The fz 1 used pnp 2n270 transistors in the same circuit with different resistor values and required two penlights. The fuzztone was responsible for keith richards sound in 1965. Inside, three juicy germanium transistors did the dirty worktwo are more common in the majority of fuzz circuitsalong with a mere handful of other components, and two 1. You might want to try locating ac151r or acy32, both similar but low noise. Coda effects vintage vintage maestro fuzztone fz1a 1966 vintage maestro fuzztone fz1a 1966.
Diy build your own guitar fxmosrite fuzzrite maestro fz 1 nobels fuz boss od ebay. This is an original maestro fuzz tone fz 1a serial number 6504. Three transistor brown painted version with attack, volume controls on rear. Fz t649 features mechanical data diodes incorporated.
Jan, 2018 fuzz help, please satisfaction guitar tone. Gibson maestro fuzz tone reissue fz1a vintage guitars. Are there any silicon transistors that could get the job done. The maestro fz 1 fuzztone was the first fuzz distortion device to become widely available on the market for electric guitars and basses, although there had been other prototype devices made. The fz 1b model listed here was a later 60s edition that used a 9 volt battery. The stories are interesting and the designs are fascinating. Against this original 2n2614 transistors, with little or no attack pot excursion, aka max it or it wont fuzz, my clone is. Like many other effects at the time, it was housed in a small box that plugged directly into your guitar. My original fz 1a isnt much louder than unity, but the fz 1 is quite loud. All three of these fuzzes are pretty iconic in the fuzz world, and theyve helped create a majority of the old school 60s70s tones that were famous back in the day. Diy build your own guitar fxmosrite fuzzrite maestro fz1. They are also used for common mode rejection and as baluns. The boss fz 5 attempts to emulate three famed fuzz pedals. The different models were made in different places.
The fuzz eone is a clone of the famous gibson maestro fz 1a, the satisfaction fuzz. Based on the first guitar pedal ever made, the 1962 gibson maestro fz 1 fuzztone. The most notably change is the reduction of the power supply from 3v to 1. It even contains the original wiring diagram glued to the inside. The fuzz eone is a clone of the famous gibsonmaestro fz1a, the satisfaction fuzz. Maestro fuzztone fz1b transistors circuit board of the m. Circuit would work with ac125 or similar too at higher noiselevel. Historical fuzz, distortion and overdrivedevices gitec.
Guitar effects have a very rich history going back nearly sixty years since the maestro fz1a hit stores and speakers in 1962. Transistors, however, have two pn junctions instead of just one like a diode has. Theyre woven into the fabric of the history of music itself. Dont miss out on this opportunity to own this limited edition fuzztone fz 1a reissue. A characteristic of this fuzz sound is a prominent boost in the highfrequency range. Perhaps for this reason, the pedal is quickly redesigned. Schematics and printed circuit board layouts for rare pedals like the tycobrahe octavia. Jun 19, 20 i totally get what youre saying, especially the chore of it. Its a twostage circuit, built around a tl072 dualopamp. Maestro fz 1 along with its almost identical update the fz 1a.
Rf transformers rf transformers are widely used in lowpower electronic circuits for impedance matching to achieve maximum power transfer, for voltage stepup or step down, and for isolating dc from two circuits while maintaining ac continuity. The fz 1a is the circuit evolved a little, the fuzz is a little smoother and a little more musical and offers a tiny bit. Ibanez fz 5 jordan bosstone kay fuzztone maestro fuzz maestro fz 1 1a maestro superfuzz fz 1s maestro g2 rhythmnsound mosrite fuzzrite nobels fuz olson new fuzz roger mayer classic fuzz selmer buzztone shinei fy2 srs fuzz univox superfuzz vox suppatonebender vox tonebender noise gate line drivers boss nf1 dod fx30 mxr m5 roger. I love doing research, both historical and technical. This was made by the electronics division of gibson, inc in kalamazoo, mi. The original maestro fz 1 contained a three germanium transistor c. Three transistors are employed, the first of which q1 is configured as an emitter follower where the base of the transistor serves as the input, the emitter is the output, and the collector is common to. However, i cant help but think neither of them sound quite as close to the real thing. It was characterized by an important boost of the high frequencies. The gibson maestro fuzztone was one of the first massproduced guitar effects pedals, first introduced in 1962 as the fz1 and was made famous by keith richards on i cant get no satisfaction in 1965. Retrotone knowledge skills supplies services this is a simple list i have been compiling over the years. Fuzz the greatest sound on planet earth bjf pedals. What are some good germanium equvialents to the original 2n26s. Mar 04, 2015 the first massproduced box was the gibson maestro fz1a fuzztone, which launched in 1962, right at the birth of british rock.
The maestro fz1 contained a three germanium transistor circuit with rca 2n270 devices. Be sure to check the pcb and layouts against the schematics and vice versa to make sure there arent any errors. The two pn junctions allow a transistor to perform more functions than a diode, such as acting as a switch or an amplifier. They also all rely on simple, transistor based circuits and come from an era of electronics when component tolerance was rather loose. The sound of the maestro fz 1a was most commonly heard on the rolling stones track i cant get no satisfaction, the classic fuzz face pedal first designed by arbiter electronics ltd in 1966 revolutionized guitar riffs forever and appeared on tracks. The basic idea is the same as the fz 1, but instead of the fz 1s two aa cells, the fz 1a is powered by a single cell aa cell, reducing the total supply from 3v to 1. For sake of bandwidth and some other caractheristics transistors used in this circuit that is without alteration to set bias et. From schematics i found online and my own research, the only differences are the use of 2n270 transistors and 20uf caps in the fz 1 versus 2n26 or 2n2614 and 1 uf caps in the fz 1a. Inside the fz1a are the three germanium transistors and 1. Later an fz 1b version was released, changing from germanium transistors to silicon. The fz 1 bore the manufacturing location of kalamazoo, michigan. These schematics and pcb layouts carry no guarantee or warranty. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times.
It would be real great to get this pedal up and running. This is the fuzz pedal model that the rolling stones used on satisfaction guitar riff in the 1960s. Rothstein guitars serious tone for the serious player. Maestro fuzztone fz1b from 1968 sg custom fender super reverb 65 reissue. Other variants followed like the fz 1b and the maestro mfz fuzz, but they were already different beasts operating on 9v batteries and sounded quite different than their predecessors. The maestro fz1 fuzztone was the first fuzz distortion device to become widely available on. The fz 1a used pnp 2n26 or 2n2614 transistors and was powered from one aa penlight. From what i have gathered, the first sekova branded pedal was a 3 germanium transistor, wedgeshaped fuzz that came about in the mid 60s. Maestro fuzz tone fz1a whos got their aa battery clip ready. Q1 is an emitter follower that provides a high input impedance to match a guitar. Vintage gibson 1966 maestro fuzztone pedale fz1a ebay. Les transistors au germanium sont extremement rares aujourdhui.
Still a cool fuzz, but not the same muscle as the fz 1. Maestro fz1 patent 333k,pdf the patent awarded may 3. The name of the model is clearly written on the front of the enclosure, with fz 1a instead of fz 1. Especially stuff thats a bit jaggedy, edgy, and maybe a bit to thin or papery. And yes, fuzz and modern high gain amps dont play nice at all.
The gibsonmaestro fz1 is often called the satisfaction fuzz, because keith. After finishing the guide to the fractal audio amp models, i thought to myself. But the unchartered territory of the drive models was too tempting and here we have it. These are general purpose germanium intended for audio frequency. It is in need of repair and in need of new transistors. Its the sound of fury, aggravation, indignation, and considering the history of the most famous fuzzbox of all time, maestro s fuzztone dissatisfaction. Maestro fuzztone fz1b transistors circuit board of the. Fz t649 25v npn high performance transistor in sot223 features bvceo 25v ic 3a high continuous current icm 8a peak pulse current low saturation voltage vcesat 1a complementary pnp type. Electro harmonix lpb1 and its siblings perf and pcb. Maestro issued the 2nd version, fz 1a, with one aa battery instead of two, in the autumn of 65 after the first batch sold. The fz 1b is the silicon transistor model compared to its earlier germanium counterparts.
Jun 30, 2015 electro harmonix lpb1 and its siblings the lpb1 was the first effect made by mike matthews and electro harmonix. It uses oldstock, matched germanium transistors to nail that raspy, 60s70s tone, but has the features that let it play gracefully on a modern pedalboard. This kit is named in homage for the two names that appear on the us patent for the fuzz toneglenn snoddy and revis hobbs. Compared to the amplifier models, information about the drive models is scarce. This project is an adaptation of the famous maestro fuzz tone fz 1a. So i am going to try some other pnps and humbuckers to see what sounds best. What makes an electric guitar sound like an electric. The reuss vintage three volt fuzz is based on the worlds first guitar pedal, the 1962 maestro fz 1 fuzztone not the later fz 1a or the fz 1b. The pedal is in great working order and cosmetic condition isas pictured the maestro fuzz tone fz 1b is the successor to the maestro fz 1 and fz 1a. Ironically, the fz 1a sounds much more like satisfaction. Find great deals on ebay for maestro fuzz tone and maestro fuzztone.
The dallasarbiter fuzz face with ac128 germanium transistors. Produced during the 60s and 70s, the maestro fuzztone fz1a is considered a classic vintage effect along with its sibling the fz 1 and the legendary echoplex tape echo. Demonstration record 1972 by adriancopenhagen 20412 maestro fz 1b and fz 1s by jerms 20150310 maestro fuzztone fz 1s by alex t 201509 maestro fuzztone fz 1s vintage fuzz by alex t 20160508 maestro fuzztone fz1s trial by psych up melodies 20160808 maestro fuzz tone fz 1s by. These fuzz boxes incorporated germanium transistors in. Against this original 2n2614 transistors, with little or no attack pot excursion, aka max it or it wont fuzz, my clone is a pot full of sweet spots. Dec 15, 2014 watch in 360 the inside of a nuclear reactor from the size of an atom with virtual reality duration. Schematics, product picture illustration, semiconductor generic reference numbers. The silicon transistor is a 2n3906 i use for power isolation emitter follower again and is part of a charge pump 7660scl and voltage regulator lm337 circuit to give me 3 volts with respect to ground to power this beast.
It faithfully reproduces the sound of models equipped with 2n2614 germanium transistors. Gibson maestro fz1a fuzztone fuzz box pete townshends. The fuzz tones are pretty decent, and its meant to model the fuzzface, fz 1a and octavia. The 1962 maestro fuzz tone fz1 gibson owned the maestro brand name at the time is. Over 40,000 of this lower powered version were made. The fz 1 fuzz tone was introduced in the early 60s and ranks as absolutely classic vintage guitar effect. It was first manufactured in the kalamazoo factory in michigan. Maestro issued the 2nd version, fz 1a, with one aa battery instead of two. The maestro fz 1a with 2n2614 germanium transistors. Fz 1a fuzztone reissue reproduction of original instructions with schematics. Do you know any pdf or something with measures of the enclosure. Maestro fz 1b vintage fuzz 2 transistor edition nos parts guitar pedal.
Its circuit went through at least one minor update in the years. With both the fz1 and the fz1a, the transistors all lack any. A surge in the demand for the maestro fuzz tones sends the manufacturer scrambling to build new units. Fuzz help, please satisfaction guitar tone fractal. Still, its very worth pointing out that with some fuzzes you can really hear the smoothing effect of an amp with a bit of heat and the sound gels. Effects heaven effect schematics mxr ibanez boss dod. Contrary to the other threetransistor fuzztones, the fz1b is a twotransistor. It was quite similar to its predecessor but there was now a resistor from the base of the second transistor to the supply voltage, at last giving this q2 a most formally set operating point. One nos transistor oc75, two caps, female input cord, and a newer battery holder.
The multigate transistors such as finfets, trigate fets, and gateallaround gaa fets are remarkable breakthrough in the electronic industry. I repaired refreshed five fz 1a pedals for a collector client this. Transistors are made from the same ntype and ptype materials as diodes and employ the same principles. Maestro fz 1a fuzz tone by gibson audio sample duration. Its unclear why maestro needed the redesign, and outright baffling why they would lower the supply voltage while others notable the tone bender were increasing the power to 9v. Beatles wanted to use the gibson fz1 fuzz tone as early as 1963 on the song. The fz 1 and fz 1a used largely the same circuitry with three germanium transistors, though the fz 1 was powered by two 1.
Mark has already drawn the maestro fz 1, so heres my layout for the fz 1a. Diy build your own guitar fxfender fuzzwah or blender jimmy. If you didnt know, the maestro fuzztone was the first transistorized guitar effect. It is not boxed yet, the transistors are in sockets, and i tested it with single coils. The aforementioned pedals are classic, highly sought after and fetch serious dough. Glenn snoddy was a recording engineer working in nashville at the quanset hut.
One of the largest sites for doityourself guitar effects builders. Gibson maestro fz 1a fuzztone guitar effects pedal original fuzztone fz1a. Maestro fz 1 along with its almost identical update the fz 1a achieved a peak of popularity in the 1960s. In the mid 60s, the circuit was altered somewhat from the original fz 1 to the fz 1a. It was very famous in the 60s, and was behind the typical psychedelic sound of those years. The schematics and layouts are known to work, but you may have to do some debugging or component switching to get them to work properly. The fz 1fz1abs would not at all be about picking dynamics but on the contrary about the attack and hence the attack. Maestro was a brand operated by gibson from the 50s to the 70s. Maestro fuzztone fz1 guts the guts of my maestro fuzz. The guts of my maestro fuzztone fz 1, made in 1962. Maestro fuzztone fz 1b transistors circuit board of the maestro fuzztone fz 1b.